STEM education continues to hold center court as educators strive to improve upon student abilities in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In my last post I described4 ways educators are acclimating to STEM education. As primary grade educators continue to delve into STEM education they may feel overwhelmed at the responsibility they hold for preparing students to excel in previously underexplored areas like engineering. Teach.Learn.Grow continues to explore STEM with educators and this blog post provides 3 specific resources that are available to primary grade educators as they continue in the quest to actively engage students in STEM.
1.NASA
NASA’s website provides lesson plans, posters, educator guides and other materials that can be used to supplement curriculum. Resources can be searched by subject, grade level, type and keywords. Lesson plans such as Bag Balloons, where students construct working models of hot air balloons to learn about the effect of heat on air, can be found in the K-4 Featured Materials Archive. Additionally, NASA’s site includes links to programs and site-based learning opportunities that may be of interest to students and educators. Included on NASA’s site are A-Z lists highlighting topics, links to related external sites, and eClips; educational video segments designed to engage students further on specific topics, are also available.
2.PBS
PBS offers television and online content resources relating to STEM through its STEM Education Resource Center. Digital media resources can help students understand concepts and help them engage in new learning experiences.
3.eGFI
eGFI assists educators in helping students explore the world of engineering and technology by providing lesson plans, class activities, and web resources. Their mission is to provide tools that increase students’ math and science skills. eGFI even features a subscription service that will provide teachers with a monthly newsletter.
The 3 sites listed represent only a fraction of the resources available. Do you know of additional primary grade STEM resources? Please share resources or ways that you bring STEM into your classroom in the comments!
